If you’re viewing this page on a phone or tablet, please turn to view in landscape mode, thank you. If you can’t see the list of services on the right hand side please use the connecting links or scroll down for these and other events and information.

Updates during this time of pandemic and resources to use at home

• From the beginning of May, we will start to re-open more of our churches with services at Sheviock, Antony and Downderry. You can read more about our plans for re-opening our churches here.
  
• Our worship and church life online continues as always, led by Rev Lynn and the Ministry Team using Zoom software. These include morning and evening prayer and are on most days of the week. Click here for details. Please contact Rev Lynn if you would like to join us, there is no requirement to live within our benefice, you would be most welcome!
• We are reviewing our churches remaining open for private prayer. Details to follow.
• Advance notice: Ecumenical said evensong with the Bishops of St Germans, +Hugh and his RC equivalent at the Priory on June 11th at 7pm. Admission will be by ticket to limit numbers. Details to follow.
• Congratulations to Tilly Thompson, now licensed as the newest member of our pastoral team. If you’re interested in becoming involved in the pastoral team, have a look at the introduction in page 6 of the newsletter, which you can look at here
• Pub theology continues online……click here for details.
  
• Lynn’s letter can be found here and we learn more about  Richard Laugharne, another of our licence lay readers
  
• Our monthly newsletter can be downloaded here.
• APCM time again – Wednesday 19th May at 7pm on Zoom. As a reminder this is an annual meeting reporting on the events of the previous year, going over the accounts and election of parish/church wardens and PCC members. A link for the meeting will be sent out in due course. If you’d like to attend please send Rev Lynn an email with your request.
• Thy Kingdom Come – will run from 13th – 23rd May. The daily prayer services on Zoom will become the Thy Kingdom Come services starting on Ascension Day, Thursday 13th May. More details can be found on page 9 of this month’s newsletter, that can found here

• Have a look at this book of modern prayers – worth a read Come+Pray+with+Me
• A booklet of prayers during the pandemic can be downloaded here: Outbreak Prayer Book Digital Single Pages 2 April_0

Online options

The Truro Diocese all age session at 9.30 on Facebook continue on a Sunday as usual! There is now a rota for these sessions that will still include Bishop Philip and Ruth.

Or you could still listen to one of the many radio options – Radio 4, Radio Cornwall offer services on a Sunday around 8am.

Or you could look at: Church of England website that now has more services to join – or at many churches and cathedrals up and down the country who have other offerings

A very good resource is https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online

Browse a whole range of prayers you can choose from to read – or listen to:

Or using your computer, tablet or phone (as you prefer) and from your web browser access morning and evening prayer using this link:

Click here and choose what you need.

To read or hear the prayer for today, click on this link: http://cofe.io/TodaysPrayer

Browse around the various pages and you’re sure to find something that interests you.

Alternatively download an App for your tablet or phone. Church House Publishing or provide a number of these Apps and these can be downloaded from https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/apps/daily-prayer

Parish Contacts

Parish Priest: Rev. Canon Lynn Parker – main point of contact for all matters

Curate: Rev. Laura Bushell-Hawke

Parish Wardens: Paul Gribble and Bill Woods

Readers/Licensed Lay Ministers: Richard Laugharne, Margaret Sylvester-Thorne, David Watters, Matt Frost

For weddings, baptisms, funerals and church services:  Rev. Canon Lynn Parker, David Watters and Margaret Sylvester-Thorne

Children’s work: Rev. Canon Lynn Parker, Evelyn Reed, David Watters, Margaret Sylvester-Thorne, Rev Laura Bushell-Hawke

Messy Church: Evelyn Reed

For buildings and general parish enquiries: the Parish Wardens:   Paul Gribble and Bill Woods

For Safeguarding:  Rev Laura Bushell-Hawke

Pastoral Visitors Team:  Pat Paxton

Parish Giving Scheme:  Paul Gribble

Finances: the Treasurer, Paul Gribble

Electoral Roll: Rosemary Stevenson

Enquiries about individual churches:

Downderry:  Andrew Pidgen

Hessenford: Fran Moore

St Germans: Richard Laugharne

Tideford: Evelyn Reed

Deanery Synod Reps:  David Watters,  Rosemary Stevenson and Paul Gribble

Cashiers: Peter Daw – St Germans; Tim Pullin – Downderry; Hugh Parker – Tideford and Fiona Bristow – Hessenford.

Additional PCC Members from November 2020

Tim Pullin, Stephen Guffick, Tilly Thompson, Yvonne Byles, Hugh Parker, Susan Booth, Dawn Couling, and Fiona Bristow

Hire and other info on St Germans Priory Church for events:

The St Germans Priory Trust:   www.stgermanspriory.info

Hire of the Church Hall in Hessenford:  http://www.hessenford.net

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Lynn’s letter:

I am writing this as the sunshine outside beckons people to be out and about “carefully” savouring some freedoms from lock down. It feels right to be opening up more churches in May for services, and I look forward to welcoming you back into your local place of worship, when you are ready.

The Zoom services have been a “Godsend”, literally, and have been the opportunity to keep in touch and worship together. These services have also been a time to be creative and try new ways of worshipping, new styles, new liturgies, and new music. Also realising the comforts of traditional styles and being able to regularly, but safely sing together Gods praise through the pandemic.

You will notice on the rota that I am keeping both the in church and online zoom services available as we become a “hybrid” church – a church that recognises that it is the being together that counts, more than where you are sitting, to worship God.

In May you will also see from the rota that it is a five Sunday month, which gives us the opportunity to all get together for the fifth Sunday. That fifth Sunday is Trinity Sunday, a day when we think of God as three persons, yet one God. We will be coming together as three parishes yet one Benefice and you will notice then that the Zoom service will be at 7pm.

Yours in Christ

Canon Lynn

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For this month’s newsletter please click on this link May Newsletter

Continuing our series of who’s who within the benefice – this month it is the turn of Richard Laugharne, one of our licenced lay readers:

I have been a Reader at St Germans Church for over 10 years now. Why am I a follower of Christ? The first reason is because I believe the story of God and Jesus as described, or revealed, in the bible is true. If it is not we are wasting our time. Do I ever doubt it is true? Yes I do. I think the more you are committed to a person or way of living, the more you can doubt. If you are not that committed, doubts are less important because you have less to lose if you are wrong. So doubt can reflect your depth of commitment rather than the weakness of your faith.

Another reason is because the story of God and Jesus is beautiful. That does not make it true, but it does make it worth following. The story describes a God who is loving, on the side of the poor and weak and willing to renounce power and defeat evil and death not through power but through powerlessness. It is the opposite of abuse, it is choosing to suffer with the world. We forget how radically different this is from many religions and the way of human beings. We often crave power and are terrified of losing it, yet Christ gives his power away at the moment of his greatest triumph. God never forces himself on us.

This does not mean that the church has not repeatedly messed things up, abusing its power to manipulate and sometimes abuse people. But I do believe in the church. It will always have problems because it is full of people like me, who can be selfish, narcissistic and sometimes down-right abusive. But it is also full of good people who are willing to love God and love their neighbours. Creating a healthy community is difficult, but possible. And it is astonishingly repeated throughout the world in so many diverse cultures. We in the west are at risk of not realising the radical change in moral direction Christianity brought to our societies, and rejecting the foundation of our values.

As a psychiatrist what really strikes me is how practically beneficial Christian faith is. It is not about abstract ideas. It is about living a fulfilling and rewarding life that builds a loving, supportive community. Being obsessed with yourself really does lead to misery. Dying to yourself is liberating and joyful. Loving God and loving your neighbour actually leads to contentment.

So to get back to the personal, I guess I see my faith as wrestling with God as Jacob wrestled with God; wrestling with my desire for glory and trying to die to myself to follow God; wrestling with my doubts and lack of faith to develop a deeper faith; wrestling with what simply happens in life and how we react to that in faith. I find all that really quite exciting and exhilarating.

~   News and Events in the Parish   ~

All our public events have been cancelled for the time being but we are meeting online where we can.

Zoom Pub Theology

Now running fortnightly

A chance to discuss ideas and thoughts about all matter of things theological.

After a short introduction of 5 minutes (or more), the conversation is open.

Meet via Zoom from 7.30 – 8.30pm every other Monday (from May 10th)

Topics:       TBA….please let Richard have any suggestions

For a Zoom link or enquiries or suggestions, ring Richard Laugharne (01503-230333) or email on richard.laugharne@nhs.net

All welcome! Click here to go back to top.

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Cornwall Community Foundation award grant for Hessenford Hall

Following the heavy rains in December and January the church hall in Hessenford was flooded as the river rose and backed up against the bridge by the pub. The flooding was minor compared to the previous event a few years back, a testament to the effectiveness of the flood prevention measures put in after that, but nonetheless left the floor and lower walls very damp. The insurance assessor recommended use of an industrial dehumidifier and fan to do the drying out that was needed. Research quickly showed that after a short period or rental it was cheaper to purchase the equipment we needed, and we are delighted to have been awarded a grant by the Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) for that purchase. A huge thank you to them, drying out is now going on. Purchase also means that we have equipment at the ready if this happens again, or to assist elsewhere in the benefice should there be a need. You can find out more about CCF’s other good works by clicking on this link: CCF website.

Thanks also go to the good folk on the hall committee for all the work they did clearing up and making the application for the grant – all much appreciated.

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Messy Church

meeting in St Germans Methodist Church

Currently cancelled, but work going on in the background

Messy Church is a form of church for children and adults that involves creativity, celebration and hospitality – it’s fun!

If you’d like to help out please speak to Evelyn or ring her on 01503 230449

Find out more at https://www.messychurch.org.uk/what-messy-church-and-isnt

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Events at St Germans Priory Church

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Advance notice:

Friday June 11th at 7pm, ecumenical said evensong with

Hugh, Bishop of St Germans and the Roman Catholic Bishop of St Germans.

The previous visit by the Roman Catholic Bishop was a wonderful and historic, and this time we also have the relatively newly appointed Bishop Philip to complete the occasion. Due to Covid restrictions the service will be said, and numbers will be limited. Admittance will be by ticket, more on this soon.